Disappearing Foods: Encouraging a Comeback

I posted this in Energy and Environment and Gardening forums, thought it may be of interest here in the cooking and baking Forum also.

Disappearing Foods: Encouraging a Comeback
A new book, "Renewing America's Food Traditions" by Gary Paul Nabhan, identifies 93 foods once common in American kitchens but now in danger of disappearing. Some are livestock breeds or varieties of crop plants; others are wild species such as the Carolina flying squirrel.


This article includes and interactive map of North America showing foods that are fast disappearing in your area.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/04/29/dining/20080430_LIST_GRAPHIC.html#

but I will... (read it, I mean).

One problem is the mass production of foods. We have settled on basically one breed of chicken, one breed of duck, one breed of turkey - the ones that have the "prized" attributes (lots of white breast meat, for instance) and effectively, no flavor. Likewise the "beefsteak" tomatos, the super strawberries, and for a long time the Red Delicious apple.

Fortunately, people have given up on the Red Delicious - we've bred it out of deliciousness - but the other stuff is in full force.

You can get a decent tomato if you buy the UgliRipe tomato - a heritage tomato that actually tastes like what I used to get out of my garden when growing up. The rest, however, isn't as easy.

You can order a "heritage" (meaning: other breed) turkey - they ain't cheap, but I don't think the farms are exactly raking in money either, so it helps support the farmers. I ordered a different breed once for Thanksgiving - the difference was indescribable. The flavor was worlds apart. I haven't done it with duck or chicken, but I would expect similar results.

I grew up in New England, and have had wild blueberries and strawberries. The crap we get in the store looks nice, but has zero flavor.

We're so taken with "all kinds of food, all the time" that we forget what food really tastes like.

And as a final bitch, watermelon. Real watermelon has seeds, thank you very much, and is indescribably delicious. The junk you get in the store is seedless, bereft of flavor, and thoroughly unsatisfying if you know what the real thing is.

- Tab

That's why it's very important for home gardeners, not just small farmers, to try to grow rare and heirloom varieties wherever they can. :hi:

http://www.seedsavers.org/

I agree completely.

I really, really, really resent those giant cardboard 'strawberries' they think everyone wants. I prefer them with flavor and will tolerate some small ones, some odd shaped ones, and some bad spots to get it.

Ditto with all the other food, too.

Did you know that Florida banned the sale of Ugli Ripes in the Winter since they are too 'misshapen' to meet Florida's standards?

Sorry about the link. The WAPO link had a persistent ad in Flash that would NOT go away and allow you to read the story.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,144191,00.html

What the hell is wrong with those people?

They are misshapen, but they actually taste like a frickin' tomato!

As for strawberries and size, my best memories are of picking blueberries in Maine in August. Tiny little things, but packed with flavor.

I can't even remember the last time I had a decent strawberry.